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Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a malignant tumor leading cancer-associated high mortality worldwide. Unfortunately, the most commonly used drug therapeutics not only lack of target ability and efficiency, but also exhibit severe systemic toxicity to normal tissues. Thus, effective and targeted nanodrug of HCC therapy is emerging as a more important issue. Here, we design and develop the novel nanomicelles, namely Mannose-polyethylene glycol 600-Nitroimidazole (Man-NIT). This micelle compound with high purity comprise two parts, which can self-assemble into nanoscale micelle. The outer shell is selected mannose as hydrophilic moiety, while the inner core is nitroimidazole as hydrophobic moiety. In the cell experiment, Man-NIT was more cellular uptake by HCCLM3 cells due to the mannose modification. Mannose as a kind of glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1) substrate, can specifically recognize and bind to over-expressed GLUT1 on carcinoma cytomembrane. The nitroimidazole moiety of Man-NIT was reduced by the over-expressed nitroreductase with reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) as the cofactor, resulting in transient deletion of NADPH and glutathione (GSH). The increase of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in HCCLM3 cells disturbed the balance of redox, and finally caused the death of tumor cells. Additional in vivo experiment was conducted using twenty-four male BALB/c nude mice to build the tumor model. The results showed that nanomicelles were accumulated in the liver of mice. The tumor size and pathological features were obviously improved after nanomicelles treatment. It indicates that namomicelles have a tumor inhibition effect, especially Man-NIT, which may be a potential nanodrug of chemotherapeutics for HCC therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Power Internet of Things (IoT) is an important support for digital innovation service of power energy internet, covering all aspects of power system. Power IoT security defense system may have customer data information leakage during transmission because of the use of traditional means of isolation. This paper proposes a reliable transmission and application security architecture for power smart IoT based on energy interconnection, aiming to solve the reliable transmission and security authentication problems existing in power systems. The paper first analyzes the security risk of the grid wise IoT system, proposes an effective power IoT security transmission scheme, and evaluates the safe and reliable transmission of the grid wise IoT system. Then designed a safe and reliable transmission of the grid smart IoT system, to deal with the traditional power network transmission security and communication security problems. The final application is in the construction of the security transmission platform of the wisdom park of Shanxi Electric Power Company, which provides the corresponding security protection capability in the power IoT through the situational awareness security measures of each layer, and realizes the reliable transmission and security application of the source network load storage and other links in the power IoT environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large amounts of septic tank sludges from sanitation facilities are either landfilled or illegally dumped into the natural environment, leading to environmental pollution and waste of resources. This issue calls for advanced methods to recycle septic tank sludges such as sustainable adsorbents to recycle phosphorus, e.g., in agriculture, in the context of the circular economy. Here, we hypothesized that alkaline septic tank sludge biochar could be an efficient adsorbent to recycle phosphate from wastewater. We first prepared raw biochar by pyrolysis of septic tank sludge at 500 °C. Then, we prepared alkaline biochar by pyrolysis at 800 °C of mixtures of potassium hydroxide (KOH) and raw biochar at 3/1, 4/1 and 5/1 mass ratios. We studied biochar properties by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and we quantified adsorption of phosphates by biochars. Results show that phosphate adsorption highly increases with KOH content, from 27.83 mg/g for the raw biochar to 42.51 mg/g for the 5/1 KOH-biochar. This trend is explained by the increase in biochar surface area from 64.214 m2/g for the raw biochar to 82.901 m2/g for the 5/1 KOH-biochar, and by the improvement of the structural properties and surface morphology of KOH-biochars. Overall, alkaline biochar appears as a promising adsorbent to recycle phosphates from wastewaters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dry deposition is an important ozone sink in the planetary boundary layer (PBL), but how different PBL parameterization schemes affect the ozone dry deposition impacts has not been well quantified. Here we investigate the influences of PBL mixing parameterizations on surface ozone and dry deposition in eastern China using a regional air quality model (WRF-Chem) and further quantify the contributions of dry deposition to ozone tendencies both near the surface and in the PBL with integrated process rates (IPR) analysis. We analyze three PBL schemes coupled with their corresponding surface layer (SFL) schemes, including Yonsei University (YSU), Mellor–Yamada–Janjić (MYJ), and Asymmetric Convective Model v2 (ACM2). We find that using different PBL-SFL schemes in general produces similar monthly mean meteorological fields, leading to relatively small uncertainties, ranging from 6.5% to 18.5% in monthly mean surface ozone concentrations and 3.6% to 15.3% in total ozone dry deposition in eastern China. However, these uncertainties can frequently exceed 30% in summer at the daily scale. IPR analyses with YSU_MM5 show that ozone dry deposition accounts for 80–89% of surface ozone losses and 45–58% of PBL ozone losses. Model sensitivity simulations by suppressing ozone dry deposition would enhance surface ozone in eastern China by 24–30% (20.6–35.7 μg m−3) during the daytime and 61–82% (26.0–46.1 μg m−3) at night. Ozone dry deposition significantly promotes the downward vertical mixing of ozone to the surface layer, which contributes to smoothing the near-surface ozone gradients as caused by ozone dry deposition and titration, thus explaining the smaller contribution estimated by the sensitivity approach than IPR analyses. We further show that different meteorological conditions simulated by different PBL-SFL schemes affect daily ozone simulations not only through the chemistry process as previously recognized but also considerably by the dry deposition process. [Display omitted] • The influences of PBL schemes on surface ozone and dry deposition in eastern China are investigated. • Different PBL schemes cause uncertainties of 3.6–15.3% in WRF-Chem simulated ozone dry deposition. • IPR analyses with YSU_MM5 show that ozone dry deposition accounts for 80–89% (45–58%) of surface (PBL) ozone losses. • Process analyses show dry deposition significantly promotes downward vertical mixing compensating for the surface ozone loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The evaporation threshold for Cr12MoV steel ranges from 2.5 J/cm2 to 3.0 J/cm2. • The evaporation pressure has a negative effect on surface roughness. • Heat accumulation due to high-frequency pulses leads to continuous melt pools. • The SOM mechanism dominates high-frequency pulsed laser polishing process. In this study, high-frequency nanosecond pulse laser was conducted on mold steel surfaces for solving surface defects during polishing processes. The influence of different single-pulse energy densities on surface roughness was carefully investigated through technical experiments, with the lowest roughness obtained at 2.5 J/cm2. A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model was developed to simulate the evolution of surface morphology at different energy densities. The applicability of the model was successfully verified by comparative experiments and simulative results. The evaporation threshold for nanosecond pulse laser polishing was found to be between 2.5 and 3.0 J/cm2. The introduction of evaporation and increased temperature gradients accelerate the flow of the melt pool, thereby leading to a shift in the driving force for fluid velocity. The short pulse cycle can create a continuous melt pool that moves with the laser beam, resulting in surface flattening along the scanning path. Under a large number of overlapping pulses, the surface over melting (SOM) mechanism dominated the morphology evolution of the molten pool. Significant findings demonstrated that pulse laser-induced heat accumulated to melt the peaks and valleys of the initial surface, while convective flow reduced the height difference of the melt pool. It can provide a new insight into surface roughness improvement of metals through nanosecond pulse laser polishing. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The nanosecond pulsed laser polishing reduced the high surface roughness of Cr12MoV steel by 79.34%. • The melting and gasification energy density thresholds for Cr12MoV steel are respectively 1.269 J/cm2 and 2.937 J/cm2. • The beam overlap rate of 95.5% is the critical condition for continuous melt movement. • The microhardness of the remelting layer increased by 36.17% due to the dominance of grain refinement. Laser polishing is gaining more and more attention because of its environmental friendliness and ability to process complex surfaces. It is considered as one of the technologies to replace traditional methods in the mold industry. In this work, the variation pattern of surface roughness with single pulse energy density and light-out overlap rate during nanosecond pulsed laser polishing of Cr12MoV steel was investigated. The surface roughness increased and then decreased with increasing single-pulse energy density and beam overlap rate, respectively. The lowest surface roughness was found to be 0.50 μm, which is a decrease of 79.34 % compared to the untreated sample. The effect of each parameter on the surface morphology during the laser polishing process is explained. There is minimal austenitization on the surface of the sample after laser polishing. The second phase of the remelting layer disappeared. The microhardness of the remelting layer increased by 36.17 % because the grain size was reduced by 30.65 %. This work further explains the mechanism transformation threshold for pulsed laser polishing of steel. With 95 % beam overlap, the melting and gasification energy density thresholds for Cr12MoV steel are respectively 1.269 J/cm2 and 2.937 J/cm2. The beam overlap rate of 95.5 % is the critical condition for continuous melt movement. It provides a new idea for the mechanism judgment of pulsed laser polishing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To fully understand the market price volatility mechanism of natural resource commodities (NRCs), and control the price risks of NRCs, it is important to deeply analyze how NRC price is affected by uncertain risk factors, such as supply risk, demand risk, macroscopic price risk, political price risk, policy price risk, seasonal price risk, and sudden price risks. The theory of behavioral finance can establish a transaction decision-making model more in line with the actual market situation. Therefore, this paper explores the price risk control of NRCs from the perspective of financial theories. Firstly, the authors empirically examined the specific impacts of uncertain risk factors on NRC price, and the directions of the impacts. Next, the price volatility and transaction risks of NRCs brought by information transmission were analyzed, following by the construction of an information transmission model for NRC trading market. After that, a dynamic price model was built for NRCs based on the theory of behavioral finance. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed model was verified through experiments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It's still a challenge to design reasonably efficient catalyst using non-noble metal for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). In this paper, we use a simple one-step electrodeposition method to load Ce and S co-doped NiFe amorphous alloys onto Cu(OH) 2 nanorod arrays. The excellent oxygen electrocatalytic performance of the catalyst NiFeCeS/Cu(OH) 2 /CuF is attributed to the electronic environments of the active sites of Ni and Fe regulated by heteroatomic sulfur and cerium, which promote the transfer of the oxygen precipitation intermediates to the higher valence states. Meanwhile, the highly conductive substrate accelerates the electron transfer efficiency of the catalyst material, and the loose nanostructure increases the specific surface area, exposing more active sites. NiFeCeS/Cu(OH) 2 /CuF shows outsanding electrocatalytic activity for oxygen evolution with a low overpotential of 227 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm−2 in alkaline medium. Moreover, the nanocomposite catalyst also exhibits rapid reaction kinetics and long-term stability and durability. In this work, an efficient oxygen precipitation catalyst is reported, which indicates that non-precious metal-based electrocatalysts have great potential for application in water electrolysis and provides a basis for the rational design and synthesis of nanorod array catalysts with unique structures. Using a simple one-step electrodeposition method to load Ce and S co-doped NiFe amorphous alloys onto Cu(OH) 2 nanorod arrays. NiFeCeS/Cu(OH) 2 /CuF shows outsanding electrocatalytic activity for oxygen evolution with a low overpotential of 227 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm−2 in alkaline medium. [Display omitted] • Co-doping of Ce and S improved the intrinsic activity of NiFe catalysts. • Cu(OH) 2 nanorods increase the number of active sites in catalysts. • The one-step co-deposition technique is simple, efficient and repeatable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, and is the most common type of cognitive impairment and dementia. There is a pressing need to improve the clinical efficacy and quality of life for AD patients, as limited treatments options for AD patients have been developed until now. In this study, we aim to investigate the protective effect of CH(II), a cerebroprotein hydrolysate consisted of abundant biological peptides, on preclinical model of AD. We found that CH(II) treatment effectively protects oxygen glucose deprivation (OGD)-induced N2A cell viability impairment and cell apoptosis. In addition, CH(II) significantly reduces H2O2-induced ROS accumulation and exhibits the protective activities against H2O2-induced oxidative injury. Intriguingly, we found that CH(II) treatment can effectively promote neurite outgrowth of N2A cells. Moreover, CH(II) obviously improve the cognitive and memorial function in scopolamine-induced amnesia mice model. Taken together, this study provides evidences of the neuroprotective activities of CH(II) and offers a potential therapeutic strategy for AD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elastomeric matrix filled with carbon nanotubes or graphene has been focused for making resistive-type strain sensors. Here, we report the low-cost synthesis of 3D carbon nanosheet frameworks by exploiting the chemical reaction between magnesium powder and carbon disulfide vapor, and prepared piezoresistive nanocomposites of as-prepared carbon nanomaterials and polydimethylsiloxane elastomer for tensile and compressive strain sensors with different device configurations. The optimal carbon content in PDMS for achieving high sensitivity is obtained. The tensile strain sensor shows fast response and high gauge factor in the order of 102. The compressive strain sensor that is elaborated designed as in-plane and miniature concept also shows striking response to external loads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Software-defined networking (SDN) is the key outcome of extensive research efforts over the past few decades toward transforming the Internet to a more programmable, configurable, and manageable infrastructure. At the same time, SDN will surely become a new target of cyber attackers. In this paper, we point out one of the critical vulnerabilities in SDNs, the capacity of controller, which is most likely to be attacked. Due to the logical centralized management, the breakdown of a controller may disrupt a whole SDN network, which can be easily occurred by Packet-In messages flooding attack (a network-level DDoS attack). To provide a robust environment in SDN, we propose an effective detection method, which has low overhead and high accuracy. We first classify the potential switches that are compromised using Bayesian Network, which is a supervised learning algorithm. Then, we deploy the anomaly detection on the vulnerable switches to detect the Packet-In messages flooding attack based on fuzzy c-means. Extensive simulations and testbed-based experiments show that the proposed solution can defeat the Packet-In messages flooding attack with low overhead and high accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stochastic gradient descent (SGD) method has been applied to the tensor CANDECOMP/PARAFAC (CP) decomposition problem to reduce the computational cost. However, SGD usually takes numerous iterations to converge. In this paper, we propose inertial accelerated SGD methods for the subproblems of CP decomposition concerning one block factor. We consider two methods for the selection of a block index in the subproblem: the stochastic manner with replacement and the randomly permuted order without replacement. First, we propose an inertial accelerated block-randomized SGD algorithm for CP decomposition (iBrasCPD) and show each cluster point is a stochastic stationary point. Then we introduce a randomized permutation inertial stochastic algorithm (RP-iSPALM) for randomized order without replacement. Under some mild conditions, we show the global convergence and convergence rate of RP-iSPALM under the Kurdyka-Łojasiewicz (KL) property. Numerical experiments on six real datasets demonstrate that our proposed algorithms are efficient and can achieve better performance than the existing state-of-the-art methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comparing with traditional drug dosage form, controlled release systems offer more effective and favorable route to deliver drugs in optimum dose to specific sites with long term release duration. In this work, an effective drug delivery system composed of poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA)/poly (lactide-glycolide acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs) with encapsulated vancomycin (Van), is constructed on the surface of biomedical titanium. The PVA/PLGA/Van NPs synthesized via double emulsion route are grafted onto the surface of titanium plates modified by alkaline-heat treatment and subsequent aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) deposition. In vitro tests disclose that NPs can release a small amount of drugs continuously due to the slow swelling or hydrolysis of polymer chain segments as the immersion time increases. As the pH value reduces, the ester bonds rupture with releasing more drugs, which is why this drug delivery system exhibits the highest antibacterial efficiency at the lowest pH value of 4.5 in this work. Cell culture results reveal that this smart surface system on titanium facilitates the cell attachment and proliferation on implants. Hence, this pH controlled drug delivery system can be successfully applied as a bio-platform for improving both the osteoblasts adhesion and antibacterial activity of metallic implants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) exerts its protective role in a variety of neurological diseases, but the related mechanisms of H2S in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) remain unclear. Toward a better understanding of the physiological role of H2S in ASD patients and mice, we designed a novel H2S detection fluorescent nanoprobe DNS-Az-M by encapsulating DNS-Az into an amphiphilic block copolymer DSPE-PEG2000. DNS-Az-M not only disperses well in aqueous solution and exhibits non-toxicity, but also achieves quantitative detection of H2S contents in biological samples of ASD patients and mice. We first found that the plasma H2S concentration in children with ASD was 12.14 ± 5.03 μM through DNS-Az-M detection, which is remarkably lower than that in children without ASD (17.08 ± 5.85 μM). The same phenomenon was observed in the ASD model BTBR mice. Furthermore, western blot and RT-PCR examination of BTBR mice hippocampus clearly revealed that CBS protein and CBS mRNA, as a key enzyme for H2S synthesis, had lower expression than that of B6 mice. This research provides a basis for the pathogenesis of ASD and outlines a promising strategy for targeted treatment of ASD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to investigate the molecular mechanism and transcriptomics of the response of graphene to the roots of Castanopsis hystrix Miq plant. Seedlings were cultivated with 4 groups of graphene solution concentrations of 0, 25, 33 and 50 mg/L, 0 refers to distilled water culture, the root development, gene expression, enrichment pathway and range of differentially expressed genes were analyzed. Compared with 0 group, 25 mg/L graphene solution had the best promoting effect on root development of Castanopsis hystrix seedlings(t=2.86 to 7.80, P<0.05). Transcriptomic data showed that the expression levels of 12 845 genes were changed after 25 mg/L graphene solution was applied to Castanopsis hystrix roots, among which 10 899 genes were up-regulated and 1 946 genes were inhibited. According to the Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes(KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis, the up-regulated genes were mainly enriched in 126 KEGG pathways, and down-regulated genes were enriched in 99 KEGG pathways. In addition, 110 transcription factor genes were differentially expressed and could be classified into 33 different families. Among them, 7 transcription factor family genes, including ERF, WRKY, MYB, NAC, bHLH, TCP and Trihelix were related to root development of Castanopsis hystrix. Analyses of differentially expressed genes related to plant hormone signal transduction pathways showed changes in the expression levels of 7 hormone-related genes, including auxin, cytokinin, gibberellin, ethylene, salicylic acid, brassinosteroid and strigolactone, were closely related to the root growth of Castanopsis hystrix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the meshless method is used to calculate the ion flow field under the high-voltage direct current transmission lines for the first time. The meshless local Petorv-Galerkin method is employed to solve Poisson’s equation, and the upwind meshless method is applied to solve the current continuity equation. After the validity of the method is tested, the distribution of electric field and ion current density at ground level with different temperature and altitude of the transmission lines are discussed. The results show that the electric field and the current density are greater when the temperature and altitude are higher. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the MLPG method of this paper, only the boundary integrations over local subdomains is involved, which make the MLPG method is very easy to carry out because the local sub-domains are chosen in MLPG method as simple circular or rectangular ranges. In order to simplify the MLPG method, the radius of local sub-domains has been adjusted for the nodes close to the global boundary but not exactly on the boundary. In addition, the boundary conditions including the essential and natural boundary are imposed directly by the nodes which are exactly on the global boundary. Two electromagnetic models have been studied in this paper to investigate the accuracy and computational efficiency of the MLPG method. The results, which are compared with the solutions obtained from the MLPG in the reference and the FEM, show that the MLPG method in this paper can obtain more accurate results by using fewer nodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, an improved MLPG method has been introduced to simplify the algorithm and thus make it more suitable for dealing with engineering problems with complex domains. In the case of a complex domain with an irregular global boundary, it can be very hard to determine the intersections between the local sub-domains and the global boundary. The improvements of the MLPG method make the MLPG method only require the domain integrations. The intersections between local sub-domains and the global boundary as well as boundary integrations have been avoided. A rectangular problem domain and a circular problem domain with exact solutions have been studied in this paper to investigate the accuracy of the improved MLPG method. The results show that compared to the regular MLPG method, the improved MLPG method can have the same accuracy, but the improved method is much easier to deal with irregular boundaries or complex problem domains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the element free Galerkin (EFG) method and the local Petrov-Galerkin (MLPG) method are compared for solving the electromagnetic problems. The EFG method and MLPG method are introduced at first. Both of the EFG and the MLPG methods are formulated in detail with Poisson's equation. Based on basic electromagnetic problems, the numerical results from the EFG method and MLPG method are given in this paper. The numerical results show that the EFG method and MLPG method both work well for the solution of electromagnetic problems. The EFG method, based on global weak form, needs background meshes for integration, and it needs more nodes to get an accurate result but it requires less cost in computational time. The MLPG method as a true meshless method doesn't needs any meshes in the implementation and can obtain an accurate result using fewer nodes than EFG. However, because the MLPG Method needs more integration nodes and has asymmetric matrices, it needs more CPU time than the EFG method with the condition that the same number of nodes is used in the problem domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ultrahigh power density lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are widely applied in transportation and energy storage systems. However, the thermal characteristics of power lithium-ion batteries under high discharge rates remain unclear. In this work, a commercial lithium-ion battery with lithium titanate oxide (LTO) as the anode material is investigated under discharge rates up to 40C. The heat generation power and temperature rise ratio increase with the discharge rate. A maximum heat generation rate of 358 W is obtained under 40C discharge. Due to the limited discharge capacity with high discharge rates, the highest temperature rise appears under 25C discharge, which is 38.9 °C. The percentage of irreversible heat increases with the discharge rate, but it only accounts for 83% under 40C discharge. Furthermore, different internal resistance estimation methods are used to predict the heat generation of lithium-ion batteries. It is found that hybrid pulse power characteristic (HPPC) method is more accurate than electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) method, and heat generation in higher discharge rate can be estimated by HPPC with a shorter time scale. • Thermal characteristics of battery under ultrahigh discharge rates was studied. • The temperature difference can reach approximately 10 °C at a 30C discharge rate. • The irreversible heat accounts for approximately 83% under a 40C discharge rate. • A simple and fast estimation method of heat generation is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high-rate discharging performance of a lithium titanate battery is one of its main properties. In conditions that require ultra-high-rate discharging, a lithium titanate battery can be discharged continuously at a current of 50 C (50 times of its maximum capacity) or higher. In this paper, we take cylindrical steel shell lithium titanate cells as the research object and perform aging cycles at 66 C on these cells. The ultra-high-rate discharging cycles cause a rapid high-power capacity fading while the available capacity at normal current rate is not affected. The capacity at 66 C decreases to 80% of initial value in 10 cycles. This paper also analyzes the aging process of a lithium titanate battery at high-rate discharging with incremental capacity (IC) analysis, and presents the aging behavior of lithium titanate battery qualitatively, which is inconsistent with existing research. We attribute the aging mechanism of ultra-high-rate discharging cycles to the decrease of ionic mobility and increase of polarization resistance. Mechanical damage is observed in the CT scan of an aged cell, which we presume to be the result of rapid strain of cathode material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of oil and gas resources is gradually transferring to the deep sea, and the hydrate plugging of submarine pipelines at high pressures and low temperatures is becoming an important problem to ensure the safety of pipeline operations. The swirl flow is a new method to expand the boundary of hydrate safe flow. Numerical simulation of the hydrate slurry flow characteristics in a horizontal pipeline by twisted band has been carried out, and the flow of CO2 hydrate slurry in low concentration has been simulated by the RSM and DPM models. The results show that the heat transfer efficiency is also related to Re and particle concentration. The velocity distribution has the form of symmetrical double peaks, and the peaks finally merge at the center of the pipeline. Vortexes firstly appear on both sides of the edge of the twisted band, and then move to the middle part of the twisted band. Finally, the vortex center almost coincides with the velocity center. The rotation direction of hydrate particles is the same as the twisted direction of the twisted band, twist rate (Y) is smaller, Re is larger, and the symmetric vortex lines merge farther away. The initial swirl number is mainly related to Y, but not Re. The swirl flow attenuates exponentially, and its attenuation rate is mainly related to Re, but not Y. Compared with ordinary pipelines, the swirl flow can obviously improve the transportation distance of hydrate slurry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanopesticides can facilitate controlled release kinetics and efficiently enhance the permeability of active ingredients to reduce the dosage and loss of pesticides. To clarify the synergistic mechanism of graphene–insecticide nanocarriers against cotton bollworm, treatment groups, namely, control, graphene (G), insecticide (lambda-cyhalothrin (Cyh) and cyfluthrin (Cyf)), and graphene-delivered insecticide groups were used to treat the third-instar larvae of cotton bollworm. The variations in phenotypes, namely, the body length, body weight, and mortality of the cotton bollworm, were analyzed. The results show that graphene enhances the insecticidal activity of lambda-cyhalothrin and cyfluthrin against cotton bollworm. The two graphene-delivered insecticides with optimal compositions (3:1) had the strongest inhibitory effects and the highest mortality rates, with the fatality rates for the 3/1 Cyh/G and Cyf/G mixture compositions being 62.91% and 38.89%, respectively. In addition, the 100 μg/mL Cyh/G mixture had the greatest inhibitory effect on cotton bollworm, and it decreased the body length by 1.40 mm, decreased the weight by 1.88 mg, and had a mortality rate of up to 61.85%. The 100 and 150 μg/mL Cyh/G mixtures achieved the same mortality rate as that of lambda-cyhalothrin, thus reducing the use of the insecticide by one-quarter. The graphene-delivered insecticides could effectively destroy the epicuticle spine cells of the cotton bollworm by increasing the permeability and, thus, the toxicity of the insecticides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Decabrominated diphenyl ether (BDE-209) has been widely used in recent decades, and its cumulative toxicity to crops, animals and human beings is attracting increasing attention. In this study, we established broiler models to investigate the effects of BDE-209 exposure at doses of 0, 0.02, 0.4 and 4 mg/kg on growth, carcass traits, meat quality, blood profiles and antioxidant capacity. Our results suggested that BDE-209 exposure altered the blood profiles and carcass traits and exhibited toxicity in liver and kidney functions. Furthermore, BDE-209 increased plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations and decreased the activities of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-px) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), which implied aggravating oxidant stress and decline of antioxidant capacity in broilers. Decabrominated diphenyl ether (BDE-209) is widely used as a flame retardant and is detected at high levels in the environment. Its toxicities have been reported and have attracted attention. In the present study, broilers were used to determine the response in growth performance, carcass traits, meat quality, blood profiles and antioxidant system to BDE-209 exposure at doses of 0, 0.02, 0.4 and 4 mg/kg. The results showed that BDE-209 exposure at levels of 0.02 or 0.4 mg/kg increased feed intake and decreased feed efficiency. BDE-209 altered the blood profiles, such as reducing the numbers of white blood cells, lymphocytes and neutrophilic granulocytes. As compared with the control, BDE-209 exposure significantly increased abdominal fat percentages of broilers at 64.9–159.5% and adversely affected the selected biochemical indicators, including alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), creatine (CRE), which indicated its toxicity to liver and kidney functions. Moreover, BDE-209 exposure significantly increased plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) concentrations and decreased the activities of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-px) and superoxide dismutase (SOD), which implied aggravating oxidant stress and decline of antioxidant capacity in broilers. In conclusion, our data demonstrated that the environmental pollutant BDE-209 adversely influenced growth performance, increased the deposition of abdominal fat, impaired antioxidant capacity and the immune system and had potential toxicity to the liver and kidney of broilers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most popular chronic and debilitating inflammatory disease of the central nervous system (CNS) that remains incurable. Dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH) is critical to the activity of T lymphocytes and represents a potential therapeutic target for MS. Here we identify piperine, a bioactive constituent of black pepper, as a potent inhibitor of DHODH with an IC 50 value of 0.88 μM. Isothermal titration calorimetry and thermofluor assay demonstrate the directly interaction between piperine and DHODH. The co-complex crystal structure of DHODH and piperine at 1.98 Å resolution further reveal that Tyr356 residue of DHODH is crucial for piperine binding. Importantly, we show that piperine can inhibit T cell overactivation in a DHODH-dependent manner in concanavalin A-triggered T-cell assay and mixed lymphocyte reaction assay. Finally, piperine exhibits strong preventive and therapeutic effect in the MOG-induced experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE), a useful model for studying potential treatments for MS, by restricting inflammatory cells infiltration into the CNS and preventing myelin destruction and blood–brain barrier (BBB) disruption. Taken together, these findings highlight DHODH as a therapeutic target for autoimmune disease of the nervous system, and demonstrate a novel role for piperine in the treatment of MS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The transient dielectric properties of GaP can be deeply but reversibly manipulated without imposing physical damage. • The isotropic material can manifest strong anisotropic characters even hyperbolic behaviors in several working frequency region. • The properly designed metal electrodes can also be viewed as a new factor for deeply manipulating the transient dielectric properties. The control of dielectric responses of narrow-band gap materials by an ultrashort laser pulse is investigated theoretically using time-dependent density functional theory, taking gallium phosphide as a concrete example. We demonstrate that, by using properly selected laser parameters an ultrashort laser pulse can induce reversible change of the electric and optical properties. The anisotropy of the transient permittivity of the material throughout the pulse duration can be enhanced so strongly that the dispersion of electromagnetic waves in the material becomes hyperbolic in some frequency interval with increasing laser energy. We describe the evolution of the transient permittivity throughout the duration of the laser pulse, pointing out to a fundamental possibility for applications of ultrafast all-optical signal processing and optical-field effect devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nucleotidyl transferases (NTPs) are common transferases in eukaryotes and play a crucial role in nucleotide modifications at the 3' end of RNA. In plants, NTPs can regulate RNA stability by influencing 3' end modifications, which in turn affect plant growth, development, stress responses, and disease resistance. Although the functions of NTP family members have been extensively studied in Arabidopsis, rice, and maize, there is limited knowledge about NTP genes in soybeans. In this study, we identified 16 members of the NTP family in soybeans, including two subfamilies (G1 and G2) with distinct secondary structures, conserved motifs, and domain distributions at the protein level. Evolutionary analysis of genes in the NTP family across multiple species and gene collinearity analysis revealed a relatively conserved evolutionary pattern. Analysis of the tertiary structure of the proteins showed that NTPs have three conserved aspartic acids that bind together to form a possible active site. Tissue-specific expression analysis indicated that some NTP genes exhibit tissue-specific expression, likely due to their specific functions. Stress expression analysis showed significant differences in the expression levels of NTP genes under high salt, drought, and cold stress. Additionally, RNA-seq analysis of soybean plants subjected to salt and drought stress further confirmed the association of soybean NTP genes with abiotic stress responses. Subcellular localization experiments revealed that GmNTP2 and GmNTP14, which likely have similar functions to HESO1 and URT1, are located in the nucleus. These research findings provide a foundation for further investigations into the functions of NTP family genes in soybeans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to achieve more effective online monitoring of distribution cables, a deployment scheme of the distribution cable condition monitoring devices based on a wireless sensor network (WSN) has been proposed. The proposed deployment scheme can improve the coverage rate and extend the lifetime of the sensor network. Moreover, the clustering method, node density, and node deployment method of the wireless sensor routing algorithm are improved, and based on isosceles triangle non-uniform deployment, a routing optimization algorithm has been proposed to achieve the balance of the energy consumption of each node in the network. Firstly, according to the energy consumption model of the network, the energy consumption of each cluster is calculated, and then by taking the minimum energy consumption of data transmission between clusters as the constraint condition, the optimal clustering distance of the network is solved. Then, according to the scale of network nodes, the density of routing nodes in each cluster is calculated, and the routing nodes in the cluster are deployed by an isosceles triangle. Finally, according to the cluster head election formula, the routing cluster head nodes in each cluster are selected, and the network data information is transmitted to the base station in a multi-hop manner through the routing cluster head nodes. The simulation results indicated that, compared with the traditional routing optimization algorithms, the proposed algorithm could keep the routing coverage at more than 200% all the time, and can effectively balance the energy consumption of nodes, improve the energy utilization efficiency of the routing nodes, and at least extend the lifetime of the network by two times. Moreover, the longer the cables, the more cost savings and the better the life cycle optimization effect of the proposed scheme. In addition, the proposed scheme can greatly reduce the economic cost of network investment, compared with using the demodulator to obtain monitoring data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an experimental investigation of ionization waves’ (IWs’) propagation in a nanosecond-pulse dielectric barrier discharge at atmospheric pressure in air. The effect of the rise time and pulse duration on IW propagation is studied by an intensified charge-coupled device, and the mechanism of the discharge propagation is analyzed. The experimental results show that the discharge produced in the rise time of the applied voltage develops in a structure of discontinuous sphere, while the discharge produced in the falling time exhibits a continuous form due to the effect of space charge. Furthermore, the rise time of the applied voltage has a significant influence on the velocity of IWs, and the maximal velocity of IWs rapidly decreases from 0.08 to 0.008 mm/ns when the rise time of the applied voltage increases from 50 to 300 ns. However, the pulse width has almost no influence on the velocity of IWs. The electric field distortion caused by both the propagation of IWs and the accumulation of surface charges is responsible for the formation and propagation of IWs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel gas insulated switchgear (GIS) partial discharge (PD) sensor with integrated optical fiber and ultrahigh frequency (UHF) method is developed in this paper. The integrated sensor is formed by placing an optical fiber on the surface of the UHF sensor. The novel sensor can be mounted inside the GIS and measure the PD through optical and UHF signals at the same time. The validity and sensitivity of the sensor are proved by experiments on a physical 110 kV GIS. This PD detection sensor solves the problem that the optical fiber is difficult to be mounted inside GIS and provides a novel method for PD detection in GIS. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Nanosecond laser cleaning effectively removes oxide film and dirt from the surface of aluminum body parts for rail transit, as well as improving surface properties. The effect of laser cleaning on the quality of weld was studied in detail for different scanning frequencies and cleaning speeds. The effect of post-weld laser cleaning on weld quality was investigated. After laser cleaning at different parameters, the surface oxygen content was decreased and the surface roughness and surface hardness were increased. Variation of surface oxygen content was related to energy density and spot density. The lowest oxygen content was obtained at 150 W, 100 Hz and 0.8 m/min. Laser-generated craters changed surface morphology and improved surface roughness. The mechanical properties of the welded joints were slightly improved, which relates to a decrease in porosity. The minimum porosity of the laser-cleaned weld was 0.021%. This work provides new ideas for the nanosecond laser cleaning of aluminum alloy and its welding properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Plants have evolved a two‐branched innate immune system to detect and cope with pathogen attack, which are initiated by cell‐surface and intracellular immune receptors leading to pattern‐triggered immunity (PTI) and effector‐triggered immunity (ETI), respectively. A core transducer including PAD4‐EDS1 node is proposed as the convergence point for a two‐tiered immune system in conferring pathogen immunity. However, the transcriptional regulatory mechanisms controlling expression of these key transducers remain largely unknown.Here, we identified histone acetyltransferase TaHAG1 as a positive regulator of powdery mildew resistance in wheat. TaHAG1 regulates expression of key transducer gene TaPAD4 and promotes SA and reactive oxygen species accumulation to accomplish resistance to Bgt infection.Moreover, overexpression and CRISPR‐mediated knockout of TaPAD4 validate its role in wheat powdery mildew resistance. Furthermore, TaHAG1 physically interacts with TaPLATZ5, a plant‐specific zinc‐binding protein. TaPLATZ5 directly binds to promoter of TaPAD4 and together with TaHAG1 to potentiate the expression of TaPAD4 by increasing the levels of H3 acetylation.Our study revealed a key transcription regulatory node in which TaHAG1 acts as an epigenetic modulator and interacts with TaPLATZ5 that confers powdery mildew resistance in wheat through activating a convergence point gene between PTI and ETI, which could be effective for genetic improvement of disease resistance in wheat and other crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The insulation problem of converter transformers has become one of the core issues in HVDC system, which is receiving more and more attention. A converter transformer has complex structures and requires high insulation level. The voltage waveform which the converter transformer insulation withstands is different from AC transformers. In the valve side of the converter transformer, the insulation endures a mixed voltage of AC voltage, DC voltage, harmonics and the pulsating component etc. Partial discharge (PD) occurring in oil-pressboard insulation is the one of the main causes of insulation breakdown, and it is the main factor of electrical aging of materials. Even though PD characteristics under pure AC or DC voltage waveform have been studied by many researchers, little research has been done with the mixed voltage. In this paper, the AC + DC mixed voltage experiment system is set up to study the PD characteristics under mixed voltage waveforms. The study results indicate that the pressboard withstands most of the DC component and void withstands most of the AC component when applied mixed voltage. For PD inception voltage, it is decided by both the AC component and DC component. For PD development, AC component has more significant influence than DC component. However, the DC component is found to promote PD activity under AC half cycle with the same DC polarity and inhibit PD activity under AC half cycle with the opposite DC polarity. The results in this paper provide an experimental foundation for the converter transformer insulation breakdown mechanism and analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PRRSV causes major economic losses to swine industry world-wide, which requires innovative antiviral agents. Porcine scavenger receptor CD163 has been identified as an essential fusion receptor for Porcine reproductive and respiratory Syndrome Virus (PRRSV) infection. In this study, novel antiviral peptides from pCD163 against PRRSV were developed based on broad neutralizing monoclonal antibodies. SRCR-5-9 of pCD163 from baculovirus efficiently binds to PRRSVs of lineage 8 and lineage 1, blocking infection in PAMs. A batch of monoclonal antibodies targeting SRCR-5-9 were generated and characterized. 8H2 and 4H7 block PRRSV infection by the disruption in viral attachment to PAMs. Virus titer reduced 100–1000 folds in average and the virus copy number decreased about 104 folds with these antibodies. Linear epitopes of 8H2 and 4H7 were individually localized in SRCR6 (1-30 aa) and PSTI(1-15aa) of pCD163. Mutations of SRCR6 NI1718KT and PST SS1314AA abolished the recognition of 8H2 and 4H7 to the corresponding region individually. Peptides derived from the linear epitopes displayed a broad inhibitory effect on PRRSVs of different lineages in a dose-dependent manner and further modulated PRRSV-related NF-κB pathway. In conclusion, these findings deepen the understanding in the interaction between PRRSV and pCD163 receptor and provide alternative universal antiviral strategies against PRRSV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To investigate the application value of combined detection of neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), prognostic nutrition index (PNI), D-dimer (D-D), CD3+ T lymphocytes (CD3+ T), and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) in colorectal cancer screening. Methods. The study cohort comprised 187 colorectal cancer patients and 100 mixed hemorrhoids patients as controls from January 2019 to August 2021 at the Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University. Comparing the levels of NLR, PNI, D-D, CD3+ T, and CEA between the two groups of subjects, drawing receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve evaluates the efficacy of single and combined detection for colorectal cancer screening. Results. Compared with the control group, the levels of NLR, D-D, and CEA in the colorectal cancer group were significantly increased, while the levels of PNI and CD3+ T were significantly decreased (P < 0.05). ROC curve analysis showed that the combined detection of NLR, PNI, D-D, CD3+ T, and CEA for colorectal cancer screening had an AUCROC of 0.943, a sensitivity of 84.49%, a specificity of 91.00%, and a Youden index of 0.75, and its screening efficacy was significantly superior to that of a single detection (P < 0.001). Conclusion. The combined detection of NLR, PNI, D-D, CD3+ T, and CEA has a high clinical application value for colorectal cancer and can provide a reference for early screening and auxiliary diagnosis of colorectal cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, aluminum alloy additive manufacturing has played a significant role in promoting lightweight applications in aerospace and automotive industries due to its efficiency and cost advantages. In order to study the evolution of grain structure in the deposition layer, single-variable single-pass deposition experiments was conducted to optimize the process parameters of laser directed energy deposition (LDED). Subsequently, multi-layer multi-pass depositions were performed to fabricate the components. The deposition layer was divided into three distinct regions: Top coarse grain zone (TCZ), Central equiaxed grain zone (CEZ), and Bottom columnar grain zone (BCZ). It was observed that subsequent depositions led to recrystallization, resulting in the refinement of the original equiaxed grain region and the coarsening of the grain structure in the deposition layer, leading to the formation of the latter two characteristic grain regions. Interestingly, within the TCZ and BCZ, we observed the presence of aluminum alloy twins that are difficult to form. This observation may be attributed to a significant reduction in the required twin shear stress within the coarse grains. The stress concentration at the grain boundaries of the coarse grains and the rapid strain rate during the LDED process could also be contributing factors to the formation of aluminum alloy twins. In terms of mechanical properties, the tensile strength of the samples parallel to the deposition direction is 268.25 MPa, while the tensile strength of the samples perpendicular to the deposition direction is 276.68 MPa. The fracture surfaces exhibit numerous equiaxed dimples, displaying characteristics of ductile fracture. There is almost no anisotropy observed in the mechanical properties, this is attributed to the alternating arrangement of different crystal regions within the deposition layer and the role of twins in suppressing dislocation motion. • The 5356 aluminum alloy was fabricated using the laser directed energy deposition with wire feeding process. • Twin crystal structures were observed within the deposited layer of the aluminum alloy. • The characteristics of grain evolution during the deposition process and their impact on performance were investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Purpose: Matrix Gla protein (MGP) is a molecular determinant regulating the extracellular matrix calcification. To further confirm whether the MGP genetic polymorphism was universally associated with the risk of kidney stone, we investigated the association of genetic polymorphisms of MGP with kidney stone in the Chinese Han population. Materials and methods: 728 subjects were recruited for the study. We firstly re-sequenced the human genomic MGP gene including the 1500bp promoter, 5′-UTR, 4 exons and 3′-untranslated regions, identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in MGP, and performed an association analysis with kidney stones in 54 subjects of the Chinese Han population. A candidate tag SNP was genotyped in total subjects using an allele specific PCR, and further analyzed the association with kidney stone. Results: We identified 18 polymorphisms including four tag SNPs. A tag SNPrs4236 was associated with kidney stones. The G allele carrier had a 1.373-fold reduced kidney stone risk compared with A allele carriers in SNPrs4236 (odds ratios (OR)=1.373; 95%CI, 1.051–1.793; p =0.019). However, we did not find an association between the polymorphism and clinical characteristics of kidney stones. Conclusions: Our findings showed that SNPrs4236 of the MGP gene is associated with kidney stones in the Chinese Han population, and influences the genetic susceptibility to kidney stones. In the future, functional assays of the polymorphism should permit a better understanding of the role of MGP genetic variants and kidney stones. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Thus, the lines with simultaneous mutations at the two homoeologs I TaHAG1-A i and I TaHAG1-B i (1 bp insertion in I TaHAG1-A i and 25 bp deletion in I TaHAG1-B i , respectively) were selected for analysis. Keywords: wheat; heat stress; genetic improvement; function analysis; regulatory mechanism EN wheat heat stress genetic improvement function analysis regulatory mechanism 1645 1647 3 08/25/22 20220901 NES 220901 Heat stress (HS) is becoming a major and constant threat to crop production and food security as global warming progresses. [Extracted from the article]

In this paper, we propose a new model to relax the impractical independence assumption between the counts and the amounts of insurance claims, which is commonly made in the existing literature for mathematical convenience. When considering the dependence between the claim counts and the claim amounts, we treat the number of claims as an explanatory variable in the model for claim sizes. Besides, generalized linear models (GLMs) are employed to fit the claim counts in a given time period. To describe the claim amounts which are repeatedly measured on a group of subjects over time, we adopt generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs) to incorporate the dependence among the related observations on the same subject. In addition, a Monte Carlo Expectation-Maximization (MCEM) algorithm is proposed by using a Metropolis-Hastings algorithm sampling scheme to obtain the maximum likelihood estimates of the parameters for the linear predictor and variance component. Finally, we conduct a simulation to illustrate the feasibility of our proposed model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Classical swine fever is a highly contagious disease in China. Although vaccination against Classical swine fever virus (CSFV) has been widely carried out in China, CSFV cases still emerge in an endless stream. Therefore, it is necessary to take new antiviral measures to eliminate CSFV. Glycoprotein E2 of CSFV is the major vaccine candidate that confers protective immunity. Thus, in this study, a batch of neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against E2, as alternative antiviral strategies, were produced. Among them, mAbs 6D10, 8D8 and 3C12 presented neutralizing reactivity against CSFV in a dose-dependent manner. Based on truncated overlapping fragments of E2 and mutants, three linear neutralizing epitopes were identified highly conserved in various CSFV strains. Epitopes 8YRYAIS13 and 254HECLIG259 were reported for the first time. All the three epitopes are involved in virus internalization and attachment as shown in pre- or post-attachment neutralization. Recombinant polypeptides carrying epitopes successfully inhibit virus infection in PK-15 cells, indicating epitopes were located in receptor-binding domain (RBD). Further, both prophylactic and therapeutic functions of neutralizing antibody were evaluated in rabbits upon CSFV challenge, confirming the efficacy in vivo. These findings provide alternative antiviral strategies against CSFV and deepen the understanding in E2 function during virus entry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphene reportedly exerts positive effects on plant root growth and development, although the corresponding molecular response mechanism remains to be elucidated. Maize seeds were randomly divided into a control and experimental group, and the roots of Zea mays L. seedlings were watered with different concentrations (0–100 mg/L) of graphene to explore the effects and molecular mechanism of graphene on the growth and development of Z. mays L. Upon evaluating root growth indices, 50 mg/L graphene remarkably increased total root length, root volume, and the number of root tips and forks of maize seedlings compared to those of the control group. We observed that the contents of nitrogen and potassium in rhizosphere soil increased following the 50 mg/L graphene treatment. Thereafter, we compared the transcriptome changes in Z. mays roots in response to the 50 mg/L graphene treatment. Transcriptional factor regulation, plant hormone signal transduction, nitrogen and potassium metabolism, as well as secondary metabolism in maize roots subjected to graphene treatment, exhibited significantly upregulated expression, all of which could be related to mechanisms underlying the response to graphene. Based on qPCR validations, we proposed several candidate genes that might have been affected with the graphene treatment of maize roots. The transcriptional profiles presented here provide a foundation for deciphering the mechanism underlying graphene and maize root interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Soil and water conservation functions under various forest types were compared. • Different forest types exhibit variations in rainfall distribution and soil properties. • Natural forests outperform in understory biodiversity and interspecific repeatability. • Arborous and litter layers significantly influence forest ecological functions. • This study provides implications for afforestation in ecologically vulnerable areas. Afforestation is widely acknowledged as an effective approach for enhancing ecological conditions. Considering the challenging ecological environment on the Loess Plateau, prioritizing soil and water conservation functions in stands is crucial. The study aimed to ascertain the future development direction of forestry on the Loess Plateau by examining two representative forest types: planted forest (Robinia pseudoacacia pure forest and Pinus tabulaeformis pure forest), and natural secondary forest (a mixed forest of Quercus liaotungensis and Populus davidiana). The assessment centered on the soil and water conservation functions of the two forest types, encompassing the water conservation function (rainfall distribution and changes in multi-year soil moisture storage (0–200 cm)), soil conservation function (soil physicochemical properties), and understory plant diversity and stability. The results indicated that natural secondary forests outperformed planted forests in terms of water conservation function by effectively converting more precipitation into soil moisture, reducing runoff, and maintaining higher soil moisture storage. Additionally, natural secondary forests exhibited superior soil conservation functions compared to planted forests, characterized by higher soil porosity and nutrient properties. The variation in community structure between the shrub and herbaceous layers was more significant among different forests than within each forest (P < 0.05). Natural secondary forests exhibited higher understory shrub and herb biodiversity and interspecific repeatability compared to planted forests. Therefore, natural secondary forests are a more suitable forest type considering the natural conditions and silvicultural objectives of the Loess Plateau. To enhance the quality of afforestation, it is recommended to adopt near-natural planting patterns that replicate the environmental conditions of natural forests. For instance, actively creating mixed forests that emulate the tree species composition of natural forests and gradually reducing dependence on a single dominant tree species. Furthermore, the arborous and litter layers had a more direct and substantial influence on soil and water conservation functions compared to the shrub and herb layers. Foresters should prioritize regulating stand structure, such as increasing canopy variability, to enhance the water conservation function of stands. Additionally, they should actively protect the understory litter to fulfill its role in enhancing soil quality. This study provides a theoretical foundation and practical guidance for the implementation of vegetation restoration in ecologically vulnerable areas, such as the Loess Plateau. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The energy transfer from intense attosecond- and femtosecond pulses to dielectric material is studied by ab initio approach. • Three types of resonance and cancellation in energy transfer in attosecond regime are theoretically observed and analyzed. • The energy transfer from attosecond pulses to dielectrics is different from femtosecond pulses by a combination of findings. The energy exchange between photons and electrons has been investigated theoretically by ab initio approach based on time-dependent density functional theory. Using diamond as a concrete example, three types of resonance and cancellation in the transfer of energy are theoretically observed, that allows one to gain a useful independent insight into the interaction processes of attosecond light pulses with matter. Our results demonstrate the linearity in energy transfer from intense attosecond light pulses to solids, in contrast to the nonlinearity in energy transfer from intense femtosecond light pulses to solids as expected from the conventional point of view, opening new perspectives for attoscience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • The infectious clone of pUCBAdV1-EYFP was constructed successfully. • The recombinant adenovirus rBAdV1-EYFP could be rescued in vitro. • The exogenous gene EYFP could be expressed continuously. Abstract Background and objective : Bovine adenovirus type 3 (BAdV3) has been widely used as a vector for vaccine research and development, whereas BAdV1 biology and BAdV1-based vectored vaccine have been less frequently reported. We aimed to construct an infectious BAdV1 clone and explore the functions of BAdV1 genes. Methods : First, the infectious clone of pUCBAdV1 containing the full-length BAdV1 DNA and the recombinant plasmid pUCBAV1-EYFP expressing the marker gene EYFP were constructed. Then, the recombinant viruses BAdV101 and rBAdV1-EYFP were rescued. The stability of the exogenous EYFP gene was analyzed by continuous passage, PCR, and western blotting. Finally, the virus neutralization titer of the rescued viruses was evaluated. Results : The infectious clones of pUCBAdV1 and pUCBAV1-EYFP were constructed and the recombinant viruses BAdV101 and rBAdV1-EYFP were rescued successfully. Moreover, the results showed that the EYFP gene could be expressed continuously. In addition, the replication of rBAdV1-EYFP was less efficient than that of the wild-type virus wt BAdV1 in vitro , while the efficacy of BAdV101 replication was almost the same as that of wt BAdV1. Furthermore, the neutralization test showed that the neutralization titer of rBAdV1-EYFP was consistent with that of wt BAdV1. Conclusion : To our knowledge, the infectious genome of pUCBAV1-EYFP expressing a visible marker gene EYFP was constructed for the first time, and the finding forms a basis for the development of BAdV1-based efficient vectored vaccine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plasmodium falciparum dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (PfDHODH) is a promising drug target for antimalarial chemotherapy. In our continuous efforts to develop more potent PfDHODH inhibitors, a unique library of active ingredients from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been collected and was screened in this study. Through the initial screening, we found that coptisine, a natural alkaloid from TCM Coptidis Rhizoma, was a novel and potent inhibitor of PfDHODH with an IC50 value of 1.83 ± 0.08 μ m. At the same time, enzyme kinetic analysis using Lineweaver‐Burk plot indicated that coptisine is an uncompetitive inhibitor for PfDHODH. Thermal shift assay and molecular docking simulation research reveal that coptisine is capable of binding with PfDHODH. Moreover, coptisine exhibits weak inhibition activity against human DHODH, indicating that coptisine is a selective inhibitor of PfDHODH. Taken together, our study highlights the potential of active ingredients in TCM as valuable resource for discovering novel chemical scaffolds for PfDHODH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the ultra high voltage (UHV)‐DC and UHV‐AC transmission lines, their contamination characteristics are different. Thus, researching the contamination polluted degree of UHV‐AC and UHV‐DC lines by geoaccumulation index and enrichment factor method is an ingenious method. This study analyses and compares the chemical composition of contamination on parallel energised UHV‐DC (800 kV) and UHV‐AC (1000 kV) overhead transmission lines. The results indicate that the major cations of insulator contamination are Ca2+, and NH4+, and the major anions of insulator contamination are SO42− and NO3− both on UHV‐DC and UHV‐AC lines. For the UHV‐DC line, the concentrations of the same cations on the insulator bottom surface are higher than that of on the top surface. However, on the UHV‐AC line, the same cation concentrations on the bottom surface close to the one on the top surface. The metallic elements of Ca2+ and Zn2+ are in seriously polluted degree. Also, the polluted degree of contamination on UHV‐DC insulator is more serious than UHV‐AC insulator. This study considers that field charging plays an important role in accumulating contamination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The field lightning impulse withstand voltage test is an important step to ensure the safe operation of the gas insulated switchgear (GIS). The oscillating lightning impulse voltage is recommended in field test by IEC standard due to its high generating efficiency and lower impulse ratio. The insulation condition of GIS can be evaluated overall by detecting the partial discharge (PD) when conducting the field impulse withstand voltage test. In this paper, the protrusion defect was set in a 330 kV real GIS to study the PD characteristics under lightning impulse voltages, including SLI (standard lightning impulse) voltage and OLI (oscillating lightning impulse) voltages with different oscillating frequencies. The PD under impulse voltages was effectively detected by using the internal UHF sensor. The 50% probability PD inception voltage (PDIV50), maximum discharge amplitude, and discharge number were analyzed based on the measurement results. It was concluded that the PD number is significantly larger and the PDIV50 of OLI voltage is lower when the oscillating frequency is low by comparing the results of oscillating and standard impulse voltage. The PDIV50 increases and discharge number decreases with the increasing of oscillating frequency of the OLI voltage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]